Royal Reynolds! King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla spent time with Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney to discuss the actors’ purchase of a U.K. soccer club.
The Deadpool star, 46, and McElhenney, 45, met the royals in Wrexham, Wales, on Friday, December 9. The foursome chatted at the Wrexham Association Football Club in Wrexham, Wales, where Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, inquired about the redevelopment of the club. (The pair bought the team in 2021.)
An FX docuseries about the actors’ unexpected purchase premiered in August. At the time, Reynolds and McElhenney got candid about their vision for the popular sport, as well as the inner workings of the decisions they had to make as the new co-owners.
Ryan Reynolds and King Charles III Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
“I think the early edict we had was that we want to be a part of Wrexham’s story. We don’t want to drag Wrexham into our story,” the Just Friends star explained to Forbes. “So I think if you’re kind of looking at it with those guardrails, it’s pretty self-explanatory.”
The Free Guy lead acknowledged that the docuseries focuses on the club itself, revealing that the Wrexham club “is the third oldest professional football club on earth” and just how “serious” fans are about it.
“I mean, we don’t want to center ourselves so much so that it becomes the Rob and Ryan Show,” Reynolds elaborated. “But at the same time, we want to give our viewers insight into the absolutely remarkable and insane tightrope walk it is to attempt something this crazy and unexpected.”
McElhenney, for his part, shared just how “difficult” it was to make some tough decisions — particularly when he and the Canada native had to let a longtime player go.
“We’ve been very careful to make sure that we’re hiring the right people to make personnel decisions because we don’t know enough about football to make them,” he explained. “But that being said, the buck will stop with us if the manager will come to us. And so [manager] Phil (Parkinson) will say, ‘I don’t think someone might have a future with us.’ It’s still really up to us to make the final call.”
The king and duchess’ visit with the stars comes one day after the Thursday, December 8, premiere of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan — a tell-all about their life and issues with the royal family that is a hard pill for Charles to swallow.
Camilla, the Queen Consort speaks to Ryan Reynolds. Arthur Edwards/AP/Shutterstock
“The docuseries has left a bad taste in Charles’ mouth,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly about His Majesty’s reaction to his youngest son and daughter-in-law’s special. “He’s more worried about it than anyone.”
The new monarch — who became king upon Queen Elizabeth II’s death at age 96 in September — doesn’t want to deal with the “drama,” the source continued. “While he’s putting on a brave face, behind closed doors he’s concerned that the docuseries will cause irreparable damage to the Monarchy.”
Royal expert Christopher Andersen, for his part, exclusively told Us that Charles’ “temper” could get the better of him, potentially leading him to strip more of Harry’s titles after the series.